Toy parachute



Jan. 12, 1937. w JAMIESON 2,067,571

TOY PARACHUTE Filed Sept. 19, 1934 INVENTOR.

By Wm M JlM/ESO/Y cf'm 1). J01

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of aparachute in the form of a toy which can be easily manipulated by achild to project it into the air to relatively great heights forsubsequent descent gradually to earth.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a toy parachute havingmeans by which the canopy of the parachute is maintained closed orfolded automatically during ascent, and concurrently with descent, isopened or extended automatically to retard its descent to earth in themanner of a full sized parachute.

A further purpose of my invention is the provision of a toy parachute ofthe character above described, which is of simple, inexpensive anddurable construction, and wherein the canopy thereof can be used forimprinting thereon advertising matter which can be readily seen duringthe gradual descent of the parachute.

I will describe only one form of toy parachute embodying my invention,and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view showing in side elevation and inverted, one form of toyparachute embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view showing my parachute substantially in side elevation,and open and in the act of descent.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing in side elevation theconnection between the canopy cords and the tail cord of my parachute.

Referring specifically to the drawing, my invention in its presentembodiment comprises, a canopy I5 circular in form and made of anyfabric suitable to permit of its ready opening and closing, and to beimpervious to air sufficiently to effect gradual descent of theparachute as a whole. From the center of the upper side of the canopy,cords C have stretches IG which extend radially to the perimeter of thecanopy in such manner that the stretches are spaced equidistantly aboutthe canopy. The inner ends of the stretches I6 are secured to the centerof the canopy by means of a fastener IT in the form of a sheet ofrelatively tough paper which is glued to the canopy fabric to overliethe cords. Thus the fastener serves to permanently secure the severalcords to the top of the canopy.

The outer ends of the cord stretches I6 are secured to the marginal edgeof the canopy by other fasteners I8, each of which is in the form of apiece of tough paper glued to the canopy fabric. Thus, the stretches I6of the several cords are permanently secured in place on the upper sideof the canopy to effectively support the fabric at sufliciently numerousplaces to prevent upward collapsing during descension, and also to causesymmetrical folding when the canopy is closed.

The cords C, beyond the stretches I6, are extended to form otherstretches I9, all of equal length and which converge to a common pointwhere they are connected to a tail cord T. This cord T is thicker thanthe individual cords C, and at one end it is provided with a loop 20closed and made permanent by a metal clamp 2i which is secured to thecord in the manner best illustrated in Fig. 3. The cord T is knotted atits other or free end to retain a ball'weight B thereon.

By referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the cords C are continuousso that they may be ex tended through the loop 20 of the cord T in amanner to be secured thereto, instead of being tied individually to thecord T. Such a mode of connection permits centering of the cord loop onthe several cord stretches I9, so that the latter are all of the samelength.

For automatically controlling the opening and closing of the canopy Iprovide a means which is responsive to the action of gravity. This meanscomprises a weight 22 in the form of a metal ball having an openingtherethrough in which the several cord stretches I9 are loosely extendedso that the weight is free to slide on the cords to occupy either of twoextreme positions. As shown in Fig. l, the weight 22 in one extremeposition, constricts or draws together all of the cords C at theirpoints of connection with the canopy I5, so that the canopy ismaintained folded or closed. In the other extreme position of the weight22, it releases the several cords so that the canopy is free to move toopen or extended position. In this position, the weight abuts the loop20 to prevent its movement downward onto the tail cord.

In practice, the operator grips the tail cord between his fingers in themanner illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the canopy is suspended from thehand by the cords C. In this inverted position of the parachute, thecanopy I5 is closed or folded because the weight 22 has slid to itslower extreme position to constrict the cords C, as previouslydescribed.

With the canopy closed and suspended as described, the operator nowmoves his hand circularly in a vertical plane, thus causing the canopyand weight 22 to describe a similar path.

Once the parachute attains a high rate of speed, it is released as thecanopy and weight are ascending, thus causing it to be projected to arelatively great height into the air. During ascension the cords C aremaintained extended by the combined weight of the tail cord T and theball B, so that once the parachute starts to descend the weight 22 isfree to slide downwardly on the cord C to its lower extreme position.With such movement of the weight 22, the canopy I is free to open underthe action of the air, and when fully opened retards descent of theparachute under the action of the weights 22 and B. Thus the parachuteslowly descends to the earth in the manner of a full sized parachute.

To repeat the operation, it is only necessary to again invert theparachute so that the canopy is suspended from the tail cord, when theweight 22 will slide to its lower extreme position thereby causing thecanopy to be folded, so that it can again be twirled and projected intothe air. I

In connection with the initial opening of the canopy, it is important tomention that the weight 22 is of such heft and its sliding movementdownward on the cords is so rapid that, when suddenly checked in itsdescent by the loop 20', itex'erts a sudden downward pull on the cordswhich reacts to momentarily accelerate descension of the canopy. Thisresults in causing the canopy to open rapidly and fully, and, inconsequence, the parachute is immediately retarded in its descendingmovement.

Although I have herein shown and described only oneform of toy parachuteembodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes andmodifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of myinvention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A parachute having; a canopy of substantially circular form; cordstretches extending radially from the center of said canopy andterminating adjacent the perimeter of said canopy, and other cordstretches extending beyond the perimeter of said canopy and connected,respectively, to the first mentioned cord stretches and to each otherbeyond the canopy; fasteners for securing all cord stretches to thecanopy; and a weight slidable on the second mentioned cord stretches.

2. A parachute having; a canopy of substantially circular form; cordstretches extending radially from the center of said canopy andterminating adjacent the perimeter of said canopy, and other cordstretches extending beyond the perimeter of said canopy and connected,respectively, to the first mentioned cord stretches and to each otherbeyond the canopy; fasteners for securing all cord stretches to thecanopy; a weight slidable'on the second mentioned cord stretches; a tailcord so connected to the second mentioned cord stretches to form anabutment for confining said weight on said cord stretches; and a secondweight on said tail cord.

3. A parachute as embodied in claim 1 wherein each of said fastenerscomprises a piece of sheet material secured in overlying relation to therespective cord stretches.

IVAN W. JAMIESON.

